Pubdate: Wednesday, July 15,1998 Source: The Province (Vancouver, B.C.) Contact: http://www.vancouverprovince.com/newsite/news-c.html Author: Barbara McLintock ACT ON DRUG REPORT, URGES PDA'S WILSON The number of deaths from drug overdoses is heading to an all-time high in B.C., says the leader of the Progressive Democratic Alliance. Gordon Wilson told the legislature yesterday drug overdoses have taken the lives of 201 people this year - more than one a day. He urged the government to do something about the report of former chief coroner Vince Cain, who called for a program that would decriminalize heroin for known addicts.He also urged that drug addiction be treated as a medical and rehabilitation problem, not a law enforcement one. Attorney-General Ujjal Dosanjh said he agreed some drugs could be available "under controlled circumstances" but only on a national scale and, he said, Ottawa has not picked up the ball. B.C. recorded 331 deaths from drug overdoses in 1993. - --- Checked-by: "Rolf Ernst"